Science textbook readability in Lebanon : a comparison between anglophone and francophone learning milieux

摘要

Science subjects are taught in either English or French in the Lebaneseudhigh school system. In a strongly examination-driven system exhibiting paralleludEnglish and French science courses and textbooks, the issue arises as to whetherudthe second language in which learning occurs has any determining effect onudoutcomes. This paper outlines an exploratory study involving the readability of theudnational Year 12 biology textbook using both Flesch and Cloze tests, and theudreading strategies that students employ when reading science texts. On the whole,udthere did not appear to be any major differences between anglophone-medium andudfrancophone-medium students with regard to the readability of the book, but theudstudy raises questions which cast some doubt on the simplistic assumption that theudchoice of the second language makes no difference, particularly with regard toudstudents’ reading strategies.